# Help please! Taste?



## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Hey guys recently picked up pipe smoking (meaning today ) after a long break of half a year but had only been smoking a month back then (I can rarely afford the tobacco at all, Which means I start to get the hang of it have a huge gap and then forget it all)  Anyway, I just got some Bob's choc flake and loaded up a bowl in my cob and lit it, Right from the start it just tasted like ash ... bitter ash. I don't know if i'm smoking too fast but I smoked as slow as I could to the point smoke was barely being produced. I've pretty muh always had this problem smoking pipes until one day I had an amazing bowl of Black swann shoppes christmas blend in the cob and it was heaven. Never tasted good in my briar infact no tobacco ever has I always get the bad ashy taste. Can anyone help me out it's so frustrating! The only small amount of flavour I get is when I breathe out my nose but that's just a kind of sweet coal aroma but it's the same with every tobacco. I just cant taste anything but ash like sucking a gone out cigarette. Any help is greatly appreciated! I also get a burning in my mouth (not stinging) like heartburn in my throat mouth, slowing down the smoke solves it mostly but then the pipe will just go out with still no flavour. Cheers!


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

Let the tobacco dry for at least an hour before smoking it.

Puff slowly.

And tamping is an art... if the tobacco is too tight it will be hard to keep lit and you'll strain yerself trying to puff... if it's too loose it'll burn fast and HOT and taste horrible.

I wish ya luck.


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Just put half a bowl of pensioners mix into my pipe and still exactly the same taste played around with the draw and tightness but nothing still a disgusting taste, Very frustrating!


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

Did ya let the tobacco sit out to dry for at least an hour first?


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

Well I see ya posted 18 minutes after I did, so ya didn't let it dry out.

Let it dry for at least an hour first. Then let us know how it worked out.


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

I agree with Mark, let it dry out for a while before smoking, then report back with your findings.

Are you smoking mostly goopy aromatics? If so, I would suggest either switching to some more "natural" tasting blends, or using something like a laptop fan to dry that tobacco out.


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

My brother and my friend just tried my pipe and they too said it tasted like a gone out cigarette ... What am I doing wrong?!


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

No goopy aromatics at all a couple of flakes and some christmas blend and pensioners mix they all taste like ash, I will try the drying out method but if that doesn't work I really do not know what to try. I'm going to be out of tobacco by the time I get this to taste alright! Thanks guys I'll report back soon


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

polo said:


> My brother and my friend just tried my pipe and they too said it tasted like a gone out cigarette ... What am I doing wrong?!


Maybe you pipe's broken :wink:

Have you given it a good alcohol cleaning?


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Haha Yup they all had one not long ago, used them maybe once or twice since, no cake on them or anything apart from the cob has a nice bit of cake on the inside but never alcohol cleaned it, They haven't been used in about 3-4 months


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Let the tobacco dry out for a while and still nothing, Same old ashy bad taste burning my mouth quite a bit too, The smoke doesn't feel hot coming out of the bit but burns my mouth slowly everywhere. Get a few hints of the taste during lighting but that's it then just turned to horrible ash. Tried smoking so slow it goes out and harder so there's loads of smoke but nope still nothing. Getting frustrating now I just want to relax and smoke a bowl that I can enjoy but hard to when it tastes like ashtray!  Any more ideas guys?


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Starting to taste a few differences in the flavoured tobacco's can't taste any in the bulwark flake just ashy stuff but I did burn my tounge on some coffee earlier today whih I guess is affecting my taste, Will try again tomorrow when its healed more and get back to you if anythings changed


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## Tony78 (Oct 20, 2012)

As a new pipe smoker, I'm just starting to get over this myself.

This helped me the most so far: Retrohaling: *How to Retrohale Cigar Smoke - YouTube*

Slowing down helped. Holding the smoke in your mouth a bit longer helped.  Trying different tobaccos definitely helps by make your palate more aware.


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Packing too tight causes you to draw in harder which will result in ash taste for sure drying time can also be a factor. If you rub out the flake dry for an hour if you are leaving it in flake form dry it out for four hours or so.puff slow sip the pipe. Develop a cadence. Pinch test the tobacco if you pinch in between your fingers and it slowly expands back normal size too wet. If it cracks and breaks too dry. You want it to be springy. Stay with it.


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## The Mad Professor (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm thinking you might need to clean your pipe more thoroughly, and maybe polish the stem (if it is vulcanite). An oxidized stem can taste awful, and make any tobacco quite unenjoyable. You say smoking though your cob is fine, but not your briar, right? So it sounds like the problem is with your briar pipe, not with your technique or tobacco... :dunno:


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

I managed a good bowl with the cob but still had the ashy taste in it when I came to pick up pipe smoking again. I'll give it some more tries and get back to you, There's no sign of oxidising on the stems and the pipes arent that old. Thanks


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## sweater88 (Jul 31, 2011)

This is going to piss off the pipe guys, but you might want to grab a couple of light to medium bodied cigars to start with. Get your palate used to tobacco, then move over to the pipe. Pipe tobacco can br amazing, but if you kill your mouth with tongue bite and bad taste, you are probably smoking too hot, and too wet, in my experience (witch is limited). A light bodied cigar won't do that to you, it will just burn unevenly if you smoke too fast (which correlates to too hot). Hth


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Draw on your pipe should not be any harder than siping coke out if straw if it is it will cause you to draw to hard and likely to fast resulting in an ashy taste. Tie also causes it to smoke too hot which doesn't help anything either. How do you pack your pipe.


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

I try and go for the three step method packing progressively harder with each pinch the draw feels fine to me sometimes a slight too light. What do you mean by tie? Thanks


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

sweater88 said:


> This is going to piss off the pipe guys, but you might want to grab a couple of light to medium bodied cigars to start with. Get your palate used to tobacco, then move over to the pipe. Pipe tobacco can br amazing, but if you kill your mouth with tongue bite and bad taste, you are probably smoking too hot, and too wet, in my experience (witch is limited). A light bodied cigar won't do that to you, it will just burn unevenly if you smoke too fast (which correlates to too hot). Hth


 I am used to smoking cigars, I used to smoke them before moving to pipes but couldn't afford them! The bowl is getting hot too so I can only imagine its my fault. Maybe I should leave the tobacco too dry for a bit before smoking everytime as I'm smoking so slow the pipe will go out alot. Cheers


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Yep problem is tobacco is too wet I am sure of it. Both symptoms you mentioned are caused by this. If it burned hot but didn't go out I would say it is too dry. Tie is a typo. Dry over night sitting out and try again. Three pack method is fine remember fill to top pack to about half. Fill again pack to three quarter full. Pack over too and press to just below rim. Lt us know how it goes.


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

polo said:


> I am used to smoking cigars, I used to smoke them before moving to pipes but couldn't afford them! The bowl is getting hot too so I can only imagine its my fault. Maybe I should leave the tobacco too dry for a bit before smoking everytime as I'm smoking so slow *the pipe will go out alot*. Cheers


Relighting a pipe repeatedly is only a problem if you view it as one. Everyone has to relight their pipes - if you manage to get right to the bottom of a bowl without relighting it is an achievement to celebrate. True, incorrect packing, moisture levels, etc. will make the "perfect" smoke less likely.

There is a lot of advice given to allow your tobacco to dry before smoking (how dry or wet is the point...). Nothing wrong with that view, but I've never gone in for this myself. The level of moisture will level out in any case as you smoke. Cigars reach a "cruising" zone where moisture from the tobacco combustion and evaporation from the heat of the burn find a happy balance. Pipes are very similar. The start of a bowl is often a bit difficult as the tobacco is too dry (needs careful slow smoking) or too wet (needs slightly more aggressive smoking, relighting and running pipe cleaners through the stem to remove moisture). Again, true that it may take a bit less time to reach the cruising point if the the tobacco is already close to the optimum. I'm sure we have all smoked both cigars and pipes where there has been a struggle at the start but the end result in the cruise zone has been satisfying. I've often put a pipe down for a while and returned to it later if the struggle is too much; second time around it's usually no problem. All part of the "fun" IMHO.

Having sad all that, maybe my point is invalidated by the fact that almost all of my tobacco is smoked after a year or so of aging when the manufacturer's idea of moisture level (more water = more profit) has been replaced by mine - which does, in truth, tend to be drier for my staple Louisiana Flake.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

I am a noob at pipes but have found that if i rub some baccy out this holds true especially for plug and flake. Put in in the bowl go do some things come back to lite it in an hour or two nine times out of ten it smokes like a dream. Relights are fine sip it this is the hardest part for long time cigar smokers like myself. As we search for that full mouth of smoke not necessary with pipes. I like to light with wood matches better than lighters not to much heat.
Enjoy the journey!
Peace my brother!


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

The Mad Professor said:


> I'm thinking you might need to clean your pipe more thoroughly, and maybe polish the stem (if it is vulcanite). *An oxidized stem can taste awful*, and make any tobacco quite unenjoyable. You say smoking though your cob is fine, but not your briar, right? So it sounds like the problem is with your briar pipe, not with your technique or tobacco... :dunno:


Quick tip...

I smoke a lot of estate pipes and the stems always need thorough cleaning. Oxidation products do taste foul. Remember this also happens on the inside of the stem. The best method I've found to remedy this is to polish the inside of the stem using a pipe cleaner soaked in T-Cut. Removes the oxidation products and tobacco residues well and quickly. If this isn't a known product, it is an automotive paint cutting liquid compound - I'm sure there are equivalents. I also use this to restore the outside of the stems. Wash out afterward with detergent and warm water (again with the aid of a pipe cleaner) and rinse with clean water thoroughly.


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Thanks guys your amazing thoroughly appreciate the efforts your putting in to help me (not alot to you but means alot to me)  Had a bowl of bulwark flake not long ago, Started off bland, but before long I started to taste berries and fruits, Think I'm getting the hang of it, I had also let it dry for an hour or more rubbed out. It was smoked in a cob but going to have a bowl in my Briar tomorrow and if it tastes ashy I'm Going to clean my Briars with some vodka, Anyone know if this will remove any oxidisation inside the stem? and will dry my tobacco's out before smoking. Unfortunately I've nearly run out now as I keep lighting bowls to try out your ideas haha! Still some ashy taste but I'm sure it will get better with time. Thanks again!  Also I've the salt and vodka treatment to my briars (I only have two) earlier this year but have only smoked them a few times since. Not sure if its worth doing it again and would it work on a cob as I've never done it on it and I have smoked it quite alot!


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Personally I would use something higher proof like everclear for cleaning but vodka might do the trick not sure. I wouldn't bother doing that in the cob personally but it may work. If you do it just let it dry out really good for a few days. We are always willing to help! Keep us posted and stick with it.


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Dr. Plume said:


> Personally I would use something higher proof like everclear for cleaning but vodka might do the trick not sure. I wouldn't bother doing that in the cob personally but it may work. If you do it just let it dry out really good for a few days. We are always willing to help! Keep us posted and stick with it.


Despite getting more flavours from the tobacco instead of just ash now I still get a burning mouth, The bowl gets a bit hot and the smoke doesnt feel hot coming out the bit but still causes my mouth so slowly burn. Could this be to do with the moisture level still? and we don't have everclear in the u.k I don't think. Do you know any U.K equivalent? Cheers


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Could be but usually happens when you puff to frequently and tobacco gets to hot which sometimes happens as a result of puffing too frequently to try and keep it lit. See when you are smoking may sound stupid but your mouth is wet and your breath is wet and sometime so is the tobacco when you add heat and moisture you get condensation so as you smoke your tobacco gets progressively more wet through the bowl. So if you start wet you will end very wet start drier and you will end slightly wet. It is why so many of us out so much into drying. If a tobacco is hot enough it will burn but at what cost. You said that you dried it out rubbed out for an hour. Try two. Every tobacco is different and you ill start to get the hang of it. It also helps to develop a cadence here is mine for example. Two medium sips wait ten or so seconds one long smooth sip. Repeat and everybody is different so you can find what works for you. And like I said depends on tobacco. Samuel Gawith tobacco comes so wet I rub it out and dry it over night about eight hours just depends. As for a replacement check this thread out should be ticket for you. http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/318352-everclear-rubbing-alcohol-replacement.html
Any other questions don't hesitate to ask.


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Also try something tony suggested next bowl you smoke as soon as you get ash taste put your pipe down come back two hours later and give it a shot. Nothing wrong with putting a pipe down and coming back to it. Did it three times to the same bowl the other day not because of moisture jut because cant smoke in a metro. Let us know.


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

polo said:


> Despite getting more flavours from the tobacco instead of just ash now I still get a burning mouth, The bowl gets a bit hot and the smoke doesnt feel hot coming out the bit but still causes my mouth so slowly burn. Could this be to do with the moisture level still? and we don't have everclear in the u.k I don't think. Do you know any U.K equivalent? Cheers


Tongue bite is usually due to smoking a bit too hot. Some blends are more prone to it than others (I read somewhere that it isn't heat that burns the tongue, but some combustion by-product - I'll see if I can find that again). I very rarely suffer it these days; even with blends like Ennerdate Flake which is prone to it (and new to me so no expert with it).

I don't think there is an equivalent of Everclear in the UK. This is (I believe) high proof unflavoured spirit - basically very strong vodka. Vodka will do the trick. There is Falcon Pipe Cleaner spay available, but it smells "funny" to me and isn't really meant for briar pipes. Fine for the stem, though.

I've seen quite a few comments now about "ashy" tastes, mainly from new pipe smokers. I wonder if this is a result of smoking a new pipe, possibly too hot. It's been so many years since I smoked a new pipe that I can't comment from experience. Maybe this is "normal" before a) cake is built up and b) you sort out your technique. I have tasted this sort of thing with estate pipes that look like they have been habitually smoked too hot and have badly scorched briar.


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

As Robert said some blends get it more than others Virginias or blends with a heavy dose of Virginia's I find to be most prone but they are my favorite so I have learned to deal. What tobaccos are you smoking?


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Of Baccy that I know is in the uk Samuel Gawith squadron leader is very forgiving mixture and needs little to no drying time. Worth a shot.


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## Baron_Null (Jul 25, 2012)

That burning is referred to as "Tongue Bite" among pipers. It is caused by several things, one of which is the alkalinity of the smoke. The alkalinity is caused by heat and sugar content, to simplify it quite a bit. Smoking too hot will cause the alkalinity to rise, and some tobaccos (such as Virginia types) are more prone to causing tongue bite due to the high sugar content. One thing that might help with tongue bite is having something to drink nearby, preferably weakly acidic, such as a tea or soda. I also find that having something to drink while smoking helps with tasting flavors, since it washes out the flavors of the last puff to a point.


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

polo said:


> Anyone know if this will remove any oxidisation inside the stem?


You need to polish out oxidation completely. Alcohol cleaning won't shift it. There is a thread on cleaning elsewhere (one of the "How to" threads ??). I buy a lot of estate briars and most need to have oxidised stems cleaned. I use T-Cut automotive paint cutting compound inside and out (remove the stem and avoid polishing the tenon - it won't be oxidised as air doesn't get to it). It works quite gently, but thoroughly and is a good mild abrasive polish with solvents that dissolve tar as well without damage to the stem material. Use it on a soft cloth for the outside and a pipe cleaner for the inside and scrub well. For really tar hard deposits, a bristle pipe cleaner is useful. Wash off with warm water and detergent (also use a pipe cleaner) and then rinse thoroughly. You need to be careful on the outside as it will polish out maker's markings if you are not careful. Don't use it to polish the briar.

How oxidised is the stem of your pipe? Oxidation is only worth dealing with in this way if you can see its brown/greenish presence, If it is there you will know it it is very visible. It can make a pipe taste foul. There is a way of using bleach to remove the oxidation, but I've little experience of it. I used it a couple of times, but ended up by polishing out the deposits anyway. To my mind, it just makes them look less green.

EDIT...
Ooops! just saw that I posted much the same earlier. Must be old age...


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

steinr1 said:


> You need to polish out oxidation completely. Alcohol cleaning won't shift it. There is a thread on cleaning elsewhere (one of the "How to" threads ??). I buy a lot of estate briars and most need to have oxidised stems cleaned. I use T-Cut automotive paint cutting compound inside and out (remove the stem and avoid polishing the tenon - it won't be oxidised as air doesn't get to it). It works quite gently, but thoroughly and is a good mild abrasive polish with solvents that dissolve tar as well without damage to the stem material. Use it on a soft cloth for the outside and a pipe cleaner for the inside and scrub well. For really tar hard deposits, a bristle pipe cleaner is useful. Wash off with warm water and detergent (also use a pipe cleaner) and then rinse thoroughly. You need to be careful on the outside as it will polish out maker's markings if you are not careful. Don't use it to polish the briar.
> 
> How oxidised is the stem of your pipe? Oxidation is only worth dealing with in this way if you can see its brown/greenish presence, If it is there you will know it it is very visible. It can make a pipe taste foul. There is a way of using bleach to remove the oxidation, but I've little experience of it. I used it a couple of times, but ended up by polishing out the deposits anyway. To my mind, it just makes them look less green.
> 
> ...


Haha thanks, but the pipes are less than a year old and I can see no oxidation on the stems at all. There is pretty much no carbon cake on the bowl infact theres none. It was pre carbonised from new no maybe its that thats tasting bad, I'm drying out the last bowl of bob's choc flake now but I only have two pipes and find I'm smoking lots of different blends in the same pipe. Thanks again for the replies everyone


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Hey polo pm me your address in the uk. Ill put some samples in the post tomorrow when the office opens for you of some stuff that is properly dried and ready to smoke so we can rule that out as a problem and get you a few more bowls to try some stuff. I know uk has terrible import laws so it will be in a standard envelope with a piece of paper to pass for a letter. I can probably only fit two samples in that size so it is what it is. But send me address today so I get the stuff ready and in post for you tomorrow.


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## polo (Jan 8, 2012)

Dr. Plume said:


> Hey polo pm me your address in the uk. Ill put some samples in the post tomorrow when the office opens for you of some stuff that is properly dried and ready to smoke so we can rule that out as a problem and get you a few more bowls to try some stuff. I know uk has terrible import laws so it will be in a standard envelope with a piece of paper to pass for a letter. I can probably only fit two samples in that size so it is what it is. But send me address today so I get the stuff ready and in post for you tomorrow.


Wow thankyou! What an amazing community this is. Will PM you now cheers


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## Dr. Plume (Sep 24, 2012)

Not a problem be in post tomorrow. Pmed you a question back.


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## nightshade (Nov 22, 2013)

I'm having the same issue. After a smoke the pipe smells like an ashtray. I've just been smoking aromatic blends from my local pipe shop and I've let them dry for a few hours. I'm not sure about anyone else here but I always associated pipe smoking with having a great smell in the air and being rather pleasant to be around. Most of the smoking I've done the past two weeks (new pipe smoker here) all generally smells like smoking a cigarette. 

Should I pick up some regular tobacco at a Walgreens or something? Would that make a difference or just taste more like ash?


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## Gigmaster (Jan 12, 2009)

It is possible your pipe could be contaminated with some chemicals, or maybe just pollutants in the air. Try this method. It usually restores the bowl to almost original condition.

1. Clean your pipe out well with pipe cleaners. Wad up a paper towel and dry-scrub the inside of the bowl until the paper comes out mostly clean.

2. Plug up the end of the stem (with the bit removed) with a piece of toilet paper or paper towel.

3. Pour pipe sweetener into the bowl and fill it as much as possible. Set your pipe somewhere and let it soak overnight. 

4. After 8-12 hours, dump the bowl (and don't be scared by the brownish, nasty looking stuff that's going to come out of it. This leaches all the chemicals and tars right out the pores of the pipe....), and wipe it out again with a paper towel. Allow it to dry overnight.

5. Clean your pipe normally once more before you smoke it again. 

This usually eliminates any bad taste left in a pipe, and kills bacteria as well. I do this on every used pipe I buy before I smoke them.


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